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Ventura not thinking about Rodon promotion

7/31/14: White Sox top pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft Carlos Rodon reacts to his first appearance as a professional

By Scott Merkin
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MLB.com |

SEATTLE -- Carlos Rodon made his first start for Class A Winston-Salem on Thursday afternoon and hurled three scoreless innings at Potomac.

The White Sox top pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft and the third pick overall struck out three, allowed two hits and walked one. Over five Minor League appearances since joining the White Sox, including two starts, the southpaw has fanned 13 and walked four in nine innings.

There's a better-than-average chance that Rodon could follow the Chris Sale development path from 2010 and pitch in the Majors during the same season in which he was drafted. But that potential path for the White Sox top-rated prospect does not fall under the category of current concerns for manager Robin Ventura.

"I'm not even going down that far," Ventura said. "We are concerned about what's going on right here. If they say he's pitching well enough to come up, then the more the merrier at this point."

Any addition of Rodon most likely would come when rosters expand in September. He also would work out of the bullpen, as he has done for the Dash and with the Arizona Rookie League White Sox, to manage his workload. He has thrown five total innings in his last two outings, on Thursday and on Aug. 3.

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.